Author
by Carrie Applegate, Ph.D.
Publish Date

On April 24, 2024, the Department of Justice published a final rule updating the regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This rule emphasizes the need for web content and mobile applications provided by state and local governments, including public higher education institutions, to be accessible to people with disabilities. 

Key Requirements for Higher Education:

  1. Accessibility Standards: Public colleges and universities must ensure that all web content and mobile apps meet specific accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1AA). This includes providing alternative text for images, ensuring compatibility with screen readers, and making interactive elements accessible. This is crucial for online course materials, library resources, and administrative services.
  2. Scope of Application: The regulations apply to all digital services offered by public higher education institutions. This includes course registration systems, online learning platforms, financial aid information, university websites, all apps and software used by the university, and other essential services.
  3. Implementation Timeline: Higher education institutions have 2-3 years to comply with the new requirements, dependent on the size of the community they serve. UIS has two years from the publication date of the regulations, so our compliance date is April 24, 2026. This timeline necessitates prompt action to audit and update digital content and platforms.

Purpose:

These regulations ask us to be very intentional about the ways that we invite people into our digital spaces – but they’re set up like this specifically because we, collectively, have not done a great job at welcoming people with disabilities into our spaces, and we need to do better. Students with disabilities are less likely to graduate from college, less likely to find employment after college, and less likely to earn the same amount of money as their abled peers. This is very much an equity issue. 

Implementation of New Title II Regulations at UIS

How Does This Impact Your Work at UIS?

We will all be affected by these new guidelines. Over the next two years, we will be responsible for making sure that all our digital spaces are accessible. This impacts our website, apps, and digital content – including publicly and internally shared documents, videos, podcasts, pictures, software, etc. It also includes course content (including third-party content from publishers that we contract with and any videos that we use). 

The UIS Office of Digital Accessibility will be coordinating efforts to implement the new Title II regulations at UIS. As we work together to make our digital spaces more accessible for all, we will be sharing resources and tools that are available to help you in this process. 

Upcoming Digital Accessibility Tips & Workshops:

Sponsored by the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service, the Office of Digital Accessibility, and the Center for Faculty Excellence. All workshops are 30 minutes long and will be held online in the COLRS Zoom meeting space.

  • Fix It: Color Contrast in PPT and Canvas. 9/26 @ 11:00 AM
  • Fix It: Alt-Text in Microsoft Word and Canvas. 10/10 @ 11:00 AM 
  • Fix It: Making Links Accessible. 10/24 @ 11:00 AM 
  • Fix It: Video Captioning in Kaltura. 11/7 @ 11:00 AM
  • Fix It: Using Headings for Structure. 11/21 @ 11:00 AM

Canvas & Course Accessibility (email colrs@uis.edu to get started)

  • Canvas UDOIT course accessibility scans 
  • Canvas UDOIT course accessibility consultations 

Digital Accessibility Services: (email oda@uis.edu to get started)

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